Nine years since first turning professional York's Henry Wharton has been the scourge of the Americas.

The York ringmaster has bested no less than 13 fighters from the United States on his high-powered march to three valiant, but vanquished shots at ruling the world in the super-middleweight division.

Now as he steps up to the light-heavyweight mark for the first time, he is aiming to increase his Yank-spanked tally to 14 when he makes his American debut against Franklin Charles Edmundson in Atlantic City in the early hours of Sunday morning.

"A lot of my early fights were against Americans. Their style seems to suit me.

"My record against them is first-class. Hopefully, I will be able to extend that in Atlantic City," said Wharton, who is ensconced in the eastern seaboard's gambling mecca for his Saturday night-Sunday morning showdown.

"I've still not seen a tape of Edmundson in action, but that sometimes works in your favour," he explained.

"If you've seen a lot of a fighter you know what he has got and you tend to prepare for just one or two things from him. But now I will have to be on my guard against anything Edmundson might show because he is an unknown."

Wharton is opening the American half of a transatlantic double bill that shifts from world title collisions in Hull to mega-challenges in Atlantic City featuring Herol 'Bomber' Graham's assault on International Boxing Federation super-middleweight champion Charles 'The Hatchet' Brewer and the defence of the World Boxing Council heavyweight crown by champion Lennox Lewis against Brownsville battler Shannon Briggs.

Lewis is reputed to be earning $4million for his night's work as he strives to achieve his goal of unifying all four world heavyweight titles.

But while there are no such mega-bucks, nor even a crown on offer for Wharton against Edmundson, the stakes are Donald Trump tower high for the 30-year-old York fighter.

The weekend wallop signals the start of the haul back to world prominence for Wharton following ten months in competitive exile since being outpointed by then WBC super-middleweight title-holder Robin Reid in Manchester last May.

"As I have said before this is a make or break fight for me. I have to gauge what I can do at light-heavyweight. I'm not going to predict anything other than to say I will give it my best shot," he said.

"I have got to put myself on the line again and I have got to do it right."

Wharton could find himself buoyed by support from one of America's greatest middleweight champions.

Jake La Motta, the 'Raging Bull', whose triumphs and traumas were documented in the film of the same name by Martin Scorsese, is said to be a fan and he has been invited to attend the fight, confirmed Wharton's trainer Gary Atkin.

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